Pilot Proficiency

Technicalities: Pilots Are Not Immune to Unpredictable Events

Monday, June 13, 2016 at 07:45 PM ET

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Life is full of "black swans," important and decisive events that are completely unexpected but can significantly change the course of events. iStock

Key Takeaways:

The article recounts two separate gear-up landing incidents by a father and son, demonstrating how seemingly minor factors (a coat cuff) or cognitive misinterpretations can lead to aviation accidents, even when pilots are alert.
It draws on Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow" to explain that human decision-making is often influenced by intuitive biases, illusions, and misconceptions, rather than pure rationality.
The key takeaway emphasizes the "illusion of retrospective predictability" and advises against constantly operating at the edge of one's abilities, advocating for staying comfortably within one's skill set to mitigate the impact of unforeseen "black swan" events.

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My father was handsome. He had the Paul Newman look and knew it.

Peter Garrison taught himself to use a slide rule and tin snips, built an airplane in his backyard, and flew it to Japan. He began contributing to FLYING in 1968, and he continues to share his columns, ""Technicalities"" and ""Aftermath,"" with FLYING readers.